What does Satan do? ^-.-^

[Key]

Thank you Ead for asking these questions.

In debate, the best way to defeat your opponent is to know thier material.

Was this a question? Or just a statement?

But how can you know your enemy if the 'evil' things that they do could be anything?

First you must have a definite line between what is “Evil” and what is “Good”, with out an absolute of either, then you are correct, what is “evil” becomes a social influenced idea. Once this happens, “Evil” gains a fluid state, being able to shift and become anything, even, allowing what is or may be evil, to be perceived as Good.

IE: One might say, “:Killing Kittens is Evil” however in the name of product testing, it is done all the time to “Protect the People” and protecting the people is a “good thing” right?

How do you know that this or that is the devil's work?

We can only assume, or make a guess. In some cases we can’t, but are lest only with the conclusion that there are either actions for God or against God, and all that is against God, comes from the Devil, or is influenced by the devil.

And if something is called evil when it really isnt, what kind of consiquences are there for it then?

That really depends on what the “Something” is.

Using your example:

An example of a non-evil evil thing that in Medival times they believed. Music in B scale was not permited in Church because it was Satan's music. The only reason it was called 'evil' is because if you have every played a B scale, it sounds really weird =P

Umm the consequence would be, we don’t listen to weird sounding music in church (Although we still listen to weird sounding music anyway, but it’s not in B scale).

I mean, sure, there are people who believe that “Black” is an evil color, and the list goes on and on. However, same holds true for people that would be superstitious, or some such.

What are the end results, well, that varies. I can not give you a direct answer to that, because it is so broad.

As long as we do not claim that which is from God is from the Devil, we should be ok.

Have I answered your Questions?

God Bless

Key

 

[FallingWaters]

An example of a non-evil evil thing that in Medival times they believed. Music in B scale was not permited in Church because it was Satan's music. The only reason it was called 'evil' is because if you have every played a B scale, it sounds really weird =P

First of all, how do you know it's not evil. Maybe it is.

Second of all, all throughout history, people have been bending over backwards to make sure they don't offend God. One example would be the way the scribes would not write out God's name, for fear of taking it in vain, and now all we know is "YHWH".

We don't see that so much anymore because over the last 30 years, mankind has declared that God is dead, and lawlessness is rampant. Nothing is sacred anymore.

 

[Sharky]

Hi folks.

Please be aware there is no debating allowed in the outreach forums. Answers should be directed to the OP where possible.

 

[Ead]

I dont think music can be evil =P

Second, thats kinda weird. When writting praises about God, wouldnt they want to put his name all over it? God would know they were meaning well by praising him, but then why were they skiddish?

Third, Lawlessness has been rampant all the time. It doesnt matter if its a Christian world or a Secular world. But times have changed from crimes of nessisity (Like stealing food for your starving kids) to crimes of greed (Like stealing a bank vault to get yourself rich). But, way back when, the food theif was executed while today the mass-murderer is just put into a comfy jail (Complete with gyms and tennis even! O.O). I dont think lawlessness is related to religion directly. The punishments or rehibilitations are not effective enough to deter most crimes, so there is an abundance of it.

 

[Key]

Hello Ead, always good to see you searching for answers.

I dont think music can be evil =P

Second, thats kinda weird. When writting praises about God, wouldnt they want to put his name all over it?

Believe it or not, it was so that no profanity to could be added to the name itself, later, by possibly an outside agent, or even if the books fell into the wrong hands, they could not desecrate the name of God Almighty.

God would know they were meaning well by praising him, but then why were they skiddish?

Again, it was a safe guard, in case the Holy works were captured by pagans or some such, they could not deface Gods name.

have I answered your questions?

God Bless

Key

 

[Ead]

So why did Christians slander Pagans alot? Calling them demon worshipers and even said they ate thier children and slaughtered people? They even made the word Villen mean evil-doer, when it's base meaning is a person living in the Pagan villages in Europe? Misguided maybe?

 

[Key]

So why did Christians slander Pagans alot?

No, But Jews did, as was the custom of the people during that time.

You also need to understand, that if a p[person wrote the name of God, in a scroll, or parchment or what ever, then someone else could perform graffiti on it (which was a major offence and if the perpetrator was found it was worthy of death), but also the shame of allowing the name of your god to be desecrated so, was a dishonor great enough for one to kill themselves over.

Calling them demon worshipers and even said they ate thier children and slaughtered people?

All those things were done by the neighboring tribes and outsiders. This was not slander, it was calling a donkey and donkey.

They even made the word Villen mean evil-doer, when it's base meaning is a person living in the Pagan villages in Europe? Misguided maybe?

I do not know the history of the word Villain I would have to look it up.

Umm, however, it seems time frames have been mixed up here as well, because, the use of the not writing the whole name of God, is a Jewish tradition, not a Christian one. So, all the things you pointed out were of a time before Christ.

Have I answered your Questions?

God Bless

Key

 

[KCDAD]

Lucifer is Satan's name. "Satan" and "devil" are actually more descriptives that have been used as names.Rachel

What does satan (the adversary) do? He distracts us from taking blame for our own attitudes and behavior. "The devil made me do it" is laughable and unbiblical. Lucifer, as attested to by http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/09410a.htm
a Catholic encyclopedia (I believe they agree with The Nicene Creed...), is a description of real people, including Jesus, Simon son of Onias (Ecclesiasticus 50:6), the King of Babylon (Isaiah 14:12), as well as the planet Venus.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucifer
this neutral(?) site explains how "this common belief is not officially accepted by most Christian denominations, on the grounds that it exalts evil to an overly high position and is not directly supported by any passage in the Bible"
My point is simple, satan is a reference to our own selfish desires, to our evil natures... as Paul put it, I know what I should do but I keep doing the things I hate... it is not satan, or lucifer or the devil... it is us!

So when we are asked by non-Christians questions of our faith, we must answer with truth, not with legend and fables.

 

[The Virginian]

So, is Satan just everything everywhere that doesnt agree with Christianity? Or is it something else?

Satan is: a created being, originally an angel of light named Lucifer; a liar, and the father of lies; a murderer, whose purpose is to kill; the thief of souls, whose purpose is to steal; he is a deciever, whose goal is to trick people into not recognizing him for who he really is !!!

Satan is behind all the evil in the world. Note , I did not say he is behind all the tragedy we witness, a great deal of which is nothing else but the result of natural forces God put into effect when He created the heavens and Earth.

Truth is what Satan opposes, and who he opposes, for in point of fact Jesus Christ is "...the Truth", particularly He -Jesus- is the truth about Almighty God!

 

[Ead]

A Pagan is someone of little or no religion.

No, a Pagan is a person that believes in one of the many other religions of this world besides Christianity. Such Pagan people were VERY religious, and they had very rich mytholigy (Such Pagan religious we remember most are Greek, Egyption, and Norse because of thier wonderous tales)

Now KCDAD said something interresting. The concept of Satan was taken from real things. The most notable i think is Venus. Christianty has this bias against women for one reason or another, because thier mytholigy says it was all Eve's fault. Venus (AKA Aphrodite) was the Greek Goddess of Beauty and for women everywhere. The pentagram (Ya know that 'evil' star symbol that wiccans of other people may use?) is actually a charting of the planet Venus's route across the sky. It makes a perfect star, which is pretty cool. Its a feminin symbol, and it is not evil. But, the church has brainwashed people into thinking it means the devil and demon worship and such. Its just not the case.

And with Key, i was talking about the church slandering Pagans when they started to encroach upon Europe. And saying that Pagans in Europe ate thier children and did all sorts of crazy things is not true! They were decent people. Even the Norse ('Blood-thirsty Vikings') didnt practice canniblism nor sacrifice thier kids. This is all just slander from the Christian church to justify killing them en-masse.

So they are not evil. They were just people living in Europe practicing thier own religions. No devil worship. And if you say that they 'were all tricked by the Devil' then anyone else could say every religion on the world (Including Christianity) is being tricked by the Devil.

 

[vespasia]

I think adversary is a better label, it describes what this malevolent entity IS

 

[KCDAD]

I think adversary is a better label, it describes what this malevolent entity IS

Malevolent? Why do you say that?

 

[vespasia]

Because it is an entity that wishes to cause harm/evil.

Adversary because that opposes Christ.